Brief Description: Finished riveting and attaching removed parts.
The metallic lock nuts arrived today so I replaced all the nylok nuts. A fire would melt the nylon in the nylok nuts. All the FW hardware is steel or stainless steel. The SS foil and insulation should protect the aluminum rivets in the FW and the structure behind the FW as well as the pilot and passenger. It's better than no protection at all as per the plans.
I bought some aluminum HVAC tape at Home Depot and covered the overlap seams between the bottom and top foil pieces. I also taped the seams in the recess. The foil would burn off quickly in a fire but it is there primarily to keep out moisture. The outer edges will be caulked with 3M Fire Barrier 2000+ silicone sealant when I get to the cowling.
This job was not that difficult but it was tedious. Thinking through about how to get the holes marked on the foil was sometimes confusing while trying to remember which was left and right, etc. The foil is only 0.002" thick but I think that it will wear well if one is careful with sharp and pointy tools. I'll find out how well it handles normal wear and tear on the first annual!
My thanks go out to Dan Horton for posting his research and ideas on the VAF forum.
Metallic lock nuts also known as jet nuts.
The aluminum tape over the seams.
I decided to use #8 screws on the cabin heat box since my rivets weren't long enough.
